These soft sugar cookies with icing just look like a party waiting to happen. Whenever I make decorated sugar cookies, my kids instantly know that something fun is going on. They come out soft, chewy, and that frosting with the sprinkles on top really is pure bliss every single time.
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Best Sugar Cookie Recipe with Icing
Prepare to be mobbed. When you make these simple sugar cookie recipe with frosting, anyone that tastes them will beg and plead for the recipe. These are what parties taste like. Potlucks beg for cookies like these.
Ingredients for Sugar Cookies
- Sugar – I mean, it’s in the name!
- Flour – all purpose is the most common for sugar cookies.
- Vanilla extract – The hallmark of a splendid sugar cookie!
- Butter – This recipe calls for unsalted butter since salt is added in a much smaller measurement in the dry ingredients.
- Egg – All it takes is one large egg to help bind the dry ingredients together.
Ingredients for Icing
- Confectioner’s sugar (powdered sugar) – To make the best icing for sugar cookies, you’ll need to sift your powdered sugar first for this sugar cookie frosting recipe.
- Light corn syrup – A must for getting the icing texture perfect.
- Vanilla extract – For a nice touch of sweetness!
Easy Sugar Cookie Icing Recipe
One of the best things about these chewy sugar cookies is how easy they are to make. Don’t worry about making them look perfect. These are supposed to look like homemade circles of frosted love. Let the kids help you make the sugar cookie icing recipe and then decorate them and add sprinkles at the end for a great way to spend family time together too!
Mom is the certified cookie inspector.
Megan
How do you make decorated homemade Sugar Cookies?
If you want to have less stress around the holidays, follow this sugar cookie recipe and it will never let you down. You can use it with cut-outs to make shapes and all kinds of things or keep it low-key. A simple icing and sprinkles is all it takes to take a plain sugar cookie and elevate it to star-status.
Expert Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Sugar Cookies
- Like thinner cookies? – If you want thinner and crispy cookies, just roll the dough thinner.
- Like thicker cookies? For thicker and softer cookies, make sure it’s about ¼-inch thick and keep the edges lightly golden.
- Let them cool – Don’t move your cookies before they cool or they’ll break.
- How to thicken/thin frosting – Thicken up your frosting with more powdered sugar or thin it out with more water.
How to Decorate Sugar Cookies
I’m less of a stickler for perfectly decorated sugar cookies because I always invite my kids to help me. It’s so much more fun this way. However, you can add food coloring to your icing to give it different colors for any holiday or keep it plain white. Add sprinkles and other fun candies and toppings to it as you like. You can even use cookie cutters in fun shapes on a lightly floured work surface to make it more interesting for the kids. That’s what I love about decorating sugar cookies…anything goes!
How to make Icing for Sugar Cookies from Scratch
Making the icing from scratch for sugar cookies isn’t rocket science. The best part is that the ingredients are so simple. And if you somehow get the texture wrong, you can balance it out with powdered sugar or water.
What is cookie icing made of?
Royal icing for sugar cookies is typically made of powdered sugar, water, vanilla extract, and light corn syrup. It’s very easy to make!
How do you make icing for sugar cookies?
All you need are some simple ingredients, usually powdered sugar, water, vanilla extract, and light corn syrup. To make sugar cookie icing follow the recipe below. You only need a spoon and a bowl to mix it together.
How do you make cookie frosting from scratch?
Take the ingredients and mix them together. Just powdered sugar, water, vanilla extract, and light corn syrup is all it takes. You can stir it all together and you’ll see it soon resemble frosting. If you want it to have different colors, you can use gel food coloring.
Separate some icing into individual dishes to add the coloring as you like. You can adjust the consistency with adding more powdered sugar or water, depending on if you want it thinner or thicker.
Is cookie icing the same as royal icing?
Not exactly. While cookie icing can be used just like royal icing, it won’t dry with as hard a texture. I love using it for piping designs or flooding cookies with icing.
Is granulated sugar same as icing sugar?
No, it isn’t. Icing sugar goes by a couple different names like confectioners’ sugar or powdered sugar. It has a finely ground texture to it that you need for making icing. If all you have is granulated sugar, you can use your food processor to get it to that fine texture. However, I think it will be faster if you go to the store and get the right kind of sugar.
